A retirement celebration was held for Justice Dale Sandstrom on Dec. 7 in the Great Hall of the State Capitol. Gov. Jack Dalrymple, Chief Justice Gerald VandeWalle, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem and SBAND Executive Director Tony Weiler were among
the many on hand to honor Justice Sandstrom for his years of service to North Dakota. Here are the photos.

Debbie Kroshus, Burleigh County Recorder, answered questions about deeds and more during a presentation on Dec. 8 at the Burleigh County Courthouse. One key topic was the importance of a valid legal description on the deed.

8th Circuit decides N.D. case

The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has issued an opinion in a declaratory judgment action on the meaning of a lease between a tenant and a Grand Forks mall.

Fargo Forum: "There were countless rounds of applause at the Leech Lake Tribal Justice Center here Thursday, as, one by one, individuals stood and informed a crowd of people the hundreds of days they've stayed sober."

St. Louis Post Dispatch/AP: "An Iowa Supreme Court ruling Friday cleared the way for a baseball complex at the 'Field of Dreams' movie site in Dyersville, as the state's highest court upheld a lower court's decision that the City Council acted
properly when it rezoned the property from agricultural to commercial."

Judge Jason McCarthy was formally installed as a judge of the Northeast Central Judicial District in an investiture ceremony on Dec. 2 in Grand Forks. He was appointed by Gov. Jack Dalrymple to replace Judge Debbie Kleven. Here are the photos.

The Judicial Nominating Committee has received a letter from Governor Jack Dalrymple convening the Committee to screen applicants and submit a list of nominees to fill the Northwest Judicial District position open as a result of the retirement of
Judge David W. Nelson. Applications are due Dec. 13.

The State Board of Law Examiners reminds lawyers that 2016 licenses to practice law in North Dakota expire December 31, regardless of when the 2016 license fee was paid. Lawyers should watch their mail for the 2017 billing in the coming weeks and
promptly pay the fee.

Under Rule 3 of the Admission to Practice Rules, lawyers who continue to appear in 2017 in a North Dakota proceeding in which a motion for pro hac vice admission has already been filed are required to pay a fee of $380 by Jan. 1.

MPR News: "The Supreme Court has weighed in on a patent battle between Samsung and Apple, siding with Samsung by declaring that the patent infringement for an element of a design should be treated differently from the infringement of an entire
design."

Wall Street Journal: "The Supreme Court pressed lawyers for a closed New Jersey trucking company to explain why a legal settlement that left workers unpaid didn't violate bankruptcy law's strict repayment rules, which call for certain wages to be
paid before other debts."

On Monday, Dec. 19, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit will go live on Next Generation CM/ECF, the latest iteration of the national case management and electronic case filing system.

St. Cloud Times: "The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday upheld a Benton County judge's decision to reject claims made by renters who sued the St. Cloud Housing and Redevelopment Authority over bedbug treatment."